Greek Mythology

​Greek Mythology

Fisher

Open Ended

Based on the maps, why are Greek and Roman mythologies so similar?

Open Ended

Why didn't Greek (or Roman) religion flourish in the Byzantine Empire?

Each city had a patron god or goddess.

​​Greek Polytheism

Athens had Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle.

​​Example

Were the children of Gaia (the Earth) and Uranus (the Sky/heavens).
Cronos was the son of Gaia and Uranus and the father of the Olympians. He tried to eat all his children so they couldn't overthrow him.
All Titans were defeated and banished to the underworld.

Original Greek Gods - Titans

Home of the gods called Olympians

Olympus

Invented to worship the gods (especially Zeus).

The Olympics

The gods could be jealous, angry, spiteful, arrogant, etc.

Characteristics

Match

Greek gods.

• Home of the gods.

• Goddess that was literally the Earth.

• God of the Sky

• Earlier generation of Greek gods

• Tried to eat his children, so they couldn't overthrow him.

Olympus

Gaia

Uranus

Titans

Cronos

• Olympus

• Gaia

• Uranus

• Titans

• Cronos

Listen for these questions in the article on the next slide.
There are several potential answers to each question...

1. Why was religion always on the minds of ancient Greeks? Read the first paragraph.

2. What were the gods like? Read The Olympian Gods.

3. How were the gods worshipped? Read Temples, Rituals & Priests (this reading is a little longer).

4. What are oracles? How were they a part of Greek religion? Read Mysteries & Oracles.

5. What kind of cultural events promoted Greek beliefs? Read Festivals & Games.
   

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Charon ferries the soul across the River Styx into the underworld - the land of the dead.

Greek Afterlife

Hades: underworld god
Cerberus: his giant 3 headed dog
People were punished in Hades.

Hades - the place and the god

Good and heroic people could atone for sins and move on to Elysium

Elysium: paradise

• Renamed Greek gods, except Apollo and a few others.

• Developed Greek ideas about reincarnation.

• Ancestor worship - Parentalia holiday honoring ancestors.

• Started to see emperors as gods.
  

Roman Mythology

Built in the year 120.
Temple to all gods.
Today, it's a Catholic Church.

​​The Pantheon

Open Ended

Remember how Cubans kept the Yoruba gods a part of Catholicism by making them the saints? The Pantheon was a polytheistic temple. Now that it's a Catholic church, how do you think they changed the shrines to the Roman gods in the building?

Note: Religion is a dynamic and syncretic phenomenon.

Crash Course Greek Mythology - Answer as many questions as possible.

6. How was Athena born?

7. How was Dionysis born?

8. How did the Romans change Greek religion?

9. What happened between Aphrodite, Aries, and Haphaestus?

10. How would you describe the behavior of the Greek gods?

1. What is a pantheon?

2. What are demigods?

3. What are heroes?

4. What is the difference between Titans and Olympians?

5. Name any 3 Greek deities and state what they are the god of.